147 Needs assessment: Evaluating interest in the Nebraska horse racing industry

Abstract

Nebraska passed an expanded legalized gambling bill in 2020 allowing casinos at licensed horse racing tracks. As of January 2023, Nebraska has 5 operational horse racing tracks that have been approved for expanded gambling. As a result, a positive impact on the horse racing industry in Nebraska is expected. As the number of tracks, races, and casinos increases there is also a growing need for horses to compete. Since passage of the bill, there has been an increase in the number of mares bred (72%), registered foals (55%), and active stallions (38%) in Nebraska as reported by The Jockey Club in 2023. To determine individuals' current and potential level of interest in actively participating in Nebraska horse racing a 16-question needs assessment survey was made using Qualtrics to develop extension programming. The survey included quantitative and qualitative items and was distributed online through various equine related social media platforms and sent via email invitation to multiple listservs targeting Nebraska residents. Survey questions focused on basic demographics, current and potential involvement in horse racing, personal goals, and management topics related to Nebraska horse racing. Data was collected from 123 respondents who were approximately 70% female (n = 85) and 30% male (n = 36) and 33.8% of the respondents (n = 45) work in the agriculture industry. Respondents completed a 5-point Likert scale (1 = no involvement to 5 = extremely involved) over their current involvement in different aspects of horse racing. The top 3 levels of involvement were breeding mares (1.91 ± 1.38 SD), mare and foal care (1.80 ± 1.23 SD), and working as a groom (1.64 ± 1.23 SD). When asked about their goals most (23.60%) were unsure and 21.12% identified wanting to own a quality racehorse. The top 3 areas respondents were most interested in being involved in were breeding mares (15.12%), caring for mares and foals (14.63%), and 13.17% were unsure. Respondents ranked 14 horse racing industry related topics 1 to 14 (1 = most interested, 14 = least interested, lowest mean = most interested) based on their level of interest in learning more about them. Based on rankings, they were most interested in learning about racehorse care (5.39 ± 3.11 SD), Nebraska bred races (5.66 ± 3.83 SD), and racehorse nutrition (5.68 ± 3.16 SD). Participants indicated their interest in horse racing stems from family being involved in the industry. Respondents show interest in both Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing. From these data, a conference is being developed to educate individuals on the topics identified with the goal of bringing more individuals into Nebraska horse racing.